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News The Cost Of Health Insurance

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Lady of Longbourn

MyPTSD Pro
Ever since my divorce I've had to re-think a lot of costs in my household as my income has gone down so much, including my health insurance. Currently, I'm wondering if individual health insurance is really the answer, I get mine through the Federal Government website and I pay $300 a month out of my own alimony income. Until the start of the new year this rate is reduced to less then $150 because of tax credits but that wont carry over to the new year and I'll be paying $300 a month again.

When I was married my insurance covered anything you through at it. Anything and the costs for medication or seeing a doctor was very affordable. That was through my (then) husbands job and we paid for the best insurance we could get because he had the income. Now my insurance is bought by me, and even at $300 a month my insurance has yet to pay anything towards my medical costs.

Not even a single dollar.

So of course I'll re-thinking keeping it. It wont pay for any of my medications, even the non-pysch ones. Wont even help pay for my birth control. Wont pay for any of my doctor's visits either, even to see my GP. It would actually be cheaper if I paid out of pocket for everything and didn't pay extra for health insurance that is (so far) doing nothing. It actually less a month for me to pay everything out of pocket then it is to buy insurance.

Now, I know it will be nice to have it around if something happened but on the other hand, it's not paying for my basic things so I wouldn't be holding my breath for it to cover more costly emergencies.

I'm leaning towards getting rid of it.

Thoughts?
 
I would look into seeing if there is a clinic in your area that has a plan for private pay. My old GP worked at a clinic/urgent care that had a set up where a family of 4 could pay $99 a month. Visits would then cost $10. You still had to pay out of pocket for meds though. Loved the place until my GP retired last month.

For meds, many places have discount cards, and if you contact the manufacture of the medication, they often have discount programs as well.
 
It's not paying for my medications or doctors I'm worried about @Fadeaway it's the cost of my health insurance I'm not sure about. My medication is affordable, the stuff that isn't I get from my doctor as samples. My doctors already give me discounted rates or their cost is affordable. So it's about keeping or not keeping my insurance.
 
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There is also a prescription card that gives you breaks on meds. It worked well for me. I'll look up the link.
 
Since it doesn't seem to be doing any good, I wouldn't keep it. I think if the fine for not having insurance is less than the cost of having it, get rid of it. Just keep extra money stashed away to pay for medical expense.
 
One of the truly bizarre things about the system in the US is that a person who is paying their own way gets charge a LOT more to see a Dr than does someone who has insurance. Insurance companies negotiate good rates for their clients and the medical folk charge those without insurance significantly higher fees.

Before the changed that came with the Affordable Care Act, I didn't have insurance. I typically don't go to the doctor, unless I'm really sick, so I usually had little to no medical bills. If I got pneumonia and needed a prescription, it cost $250-300 to see a doc to get one, but I figured that was like a month's insurance payment. Now, because of some changes they've made in this state, I qualify for a program they have (here) for people who make too much to qualify for medicaid, but still are pretty low income, so I have the best insurance I've ever had. Then, as I understand it, when I get to be old enough to qualify for Medicare, I'll have to pay more money for poorer insurance. (I hope that's wrong!) It is a truly weird and broken system! But, from what I read on here from other countries, no one else has anything that's any better. Just different problems.
 
Have you shopped around? Depending on if you're in a red or blue state, there are some incredible policies. Healthcare.gov has info.
 
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